James Mwangi joins new global commission on the future of North-South development
Dr. James Mwangi, Group Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group Holdings, has been appointed to the South-North Commission on Development, an independent body established by the German government to examine how countries in the Global South and North can build stronger development partnerships.
The Commission, co-chaired by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, launched its 20-member team in Berlin on October 5. Mwangi is one of two business representatives and the only African business leader appointed to the commission.
His fellow commissioners include World Bank President Ajay Banga, World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, UN Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege. The commission also brings together former government leaders, academics, civil society representatives and business executives, with a majority of its members drawn from the Global South.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Mwangi noted, “Willy Brandt’s Commission gave the world the language of interdependence. Fifty years on, our task is to turn that language into partnerships that work. Africa should no longer be seen through the lens of aid. It is a source of growth, talent, innovation and investment. I am honoured to join the Co-Chairs and my fellow Commissioners. I will bring what Equity has learned about mobilising domestic and global capital, backing entrepreneurs and small businesses, and making financial and economic inclusion a platform for jobs and shared prosperity.”
The commission is a successor to the North-South Commission chaired by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt from 1977. It will hold its first meeting in Bangkok on October 16 and 17, alongside the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings.
It is expected to release interim findings in 2027, marking 50 years since the original Brandt Commission began its work, before issuing a final report at the end of 2028. Its recommendations are expected to contribute to discussions on the global development agenda beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Mwangi’s appointment comes against the backdrop of his three-and-a-half decades of work in financial inclusion and private-sector-led development. Equity currently serves more than 23 million customers across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, with 98 percent of transactions conducted outside its branches.
He will serve on the commission in his personal capacity while continuing to lead Equity’s development initiatives across Africa. These include the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, a $6 billion initiative aimed at reaching 100 million customers and five million borrowing businesses by 2030.
Equity has also advocated for greater private-sector participation in development financing, including models where public funds are used to reduce investment risks and attract domestic savings and private capital.
The bank has further positioned agriculture, climate finance, youth employment and entrepreneurship among its development priorities. About 30 percent of its lending is directed to agriculture, while it aims to have more than 30 percent of its loan book in climate-aligned sectors by 2030.
Mwangi’s appointment adds an African private-sector perspective to an international commission tasked with examining how development financing, trade, investment and partnerships between the Global North and South can evolve in the coming years.
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